Hawaii became the 50th U.S. state, leading to the 50-star American flag.
Hawaii joined the United States on August 21, 1959, after voters approved statehood in a referendum. It followed Alaska, which had become the 49th state earlier that year. Hawaii’s admission completed the modern sequence of U.S. state additions.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued an executive order establishing the 50-star flag. The new design became official on July 4, 1960, making it the first American flag to have 50 stars. The stars represent the states, while the stripes commemorate the original thirteen colonies.
Hawaii is the only U.S. state located outside North America and the only state composed entirely of islands. Its statehood also made the United States a nation spanning the central Pacific, adding a major geographic dimension to the country’s history before its 250th anniversary.